Ring binder



INVENTo E SWE 9.0m R Tm D E cm RING BINDER Filed Nov. 11, 1942 C. D.TRUSSELL .d ul.

June l5, 1943.

Patented June 15, 1943 RING BINDER Clarence D. Trussell, Poughkeepsie,N. Y., assignor to Trussell Manufacturing Company, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application November 11, 1942, Serial No.465,287

(Cl. 12S-1) 3 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to ring binders and particularlyto those of the type disclosed in copending application for patent Ser.No. 452,111, filed July 23, 1942, in which ring elements of non-metallicmaterial are attached to and carried by a back construction also ofvnonmetallic material.

Objects of the present invention are to improve the design and structureof the back and ring forming elements of the combination, to render thedetachable connection between them more secure and at the same time,more readily operable and to support the sheets or leaves in betterrelation, particularly to hold and confine them lagainst too greatlooseness or freedom of movement.

Other desirable objects will appear or are set forth in the followingspecification, wherein the novel features of the invention are describedand claimed.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrates certain practical embodiments of the invention, but thestructure may be otherwise modified and changed all within the trueintent and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined and covered inthe claims.

Fig. l is a plan View of a book having features of the inventionincorporated therein, with portions broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a broken end view of the same on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a bro-ken transverse sectional detail as on line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a broken longitudinal sectional View on substantially theplane of line I--ll of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken sectional detail of one of the flexiblering forming elements.

Fig. 6 is a broken perspective view of a modified form of grooved andnotched back member.

In the embodiments of the invention shown, the leaves l, are releasablyheld by rings 8, of leather, vulcanized ber, plastic or other flexibleor semi-flexible non-metallic material detachably secured to a backstructure composed of inner and outer members I il, of wood or similarnonmetallic material.

'I'he inner back member is shown in Fig. 3 as having a longitudinalgroove II, to receive the rib I2, of the outer back member and the coverstructure I3, is shown as having flanges I4, held between the two partswhen they are secured together as by means of rivets indicated at I5,Fig. 1. Because of flexibility, durability and other qualities, leathermay advantageously be used as the material for the rings. Round leatherbelting has been used with advantage. This material may be reinforced,particularly at the ends, by drilling openings I6, therein and thendriving in lengths of wire or like stiffening elements I'I,substantially as indicated in Fig. 5.

When rmly anchored in the back, these stiffened and reinforced ends holdthe intermediate arched portion of the ring stretched in a tensionedfirm condition. These rings may flatten out across the top into asubstantially oval form, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The ends of the ring elements are secured to the back piece in theillustration, by providing inclined or transverse grooves I3, inopposite sides to reduce cross-sectional dimensions and to leave thefull diameter head portions I9, at the extreme ends and by providing theinner member of the back with undercut transversely eX- tending slots ofthe keyhole type, to receive and hold such end portions.

In Fig. 1, the slots are shown as of a cruciform design, with narrowoppositely extending transverse portions 20, connected at the center bythe wider longitudinally extending portions 2|, the central widerportions being large enough to receive the full cross-sectionaldimensions of the rings and the narrower portions being of a width toreceive and closely hold the reduced crosssectional portions at I8.

The inner back member 9, is shown as beveled or ridged at 22, to formoppositely inclined longitudinal faces 23. in these reversely inclinedfaces, usually at the same inclination, substantially as indicated inFig'. 3.

In the modified form of fastening illustrated in Fig. 6, a continuouslongitudinal groove 24, is cut or formed in the central ridged portionof the back piece, with communicating reversely inclined channels 25, atopposite sides, providing the necessary undercut and leaving the thinflanges 26, which are transversely notched at 2l, to provide the narrowslots for the reduced neck portions of the rings.

To take some of the endwise load off the flexible rings and to preventthe stack of leaves from slipping loosely back and forth in the binder,confining abutments may be provided, substantially as indicated at 28,Fig. 4, preferably of wood or other non-metallic material, mortised at29, to t over the correspondingly shaped ends of the inner back memberand so secured by adhesive orv other means. If fastened in overlappingengagement over the ends of the back members, these end pieces may serveto brace and fasten the back The ring holding slots are cut memberstogether, thus acting as reinforcements, as well as end abutments forthe leaves.

The wires or stiiening elements inserted in the ring members have thefurther elect of solidifying the reduced neck portions of these members,so that they will fit and be more rmly held in the cross slots of theback piece. The leather has a certain resiliency or springiness and alsoa frictional quality aiding in holding the ring ends rmly anchored inthe back piece. This resiliency also enables the ring ends to be easilyslipped into and out of place in the cross slots.

The Wires l1 may be shaped to the desired curvature so as to give thering ends the desired permanent curvature, substantially as indicated atthe right in Fig. 3.

What is claimed is:

l. A ring binder, comprising a back member having a central depression,recesses extending transversely in opposite directions from the bottomof said central depression and notches narrower than said centraldepression and recesses extending transversely from the tcp of saidcentral depression over said recesses` and ring elements having headportions at the ends of the same larger than said notches but smallenough to enter said central depression and side recesses and havingreduced neck portions adjoining' said head portions and of a size toenter said notches.

2. A ring binder, comprising a back member having a centrallongitudinally extending groove in the fact of the same, recessesextending transversely from the bottom of said longitudinal groove andnotches extending transversely from the top of said longitudinal grooveinto said recesses, said notches being narrower than said recesses andnarrower than said longitudinal groove, and ring elements having headportions at the ends of the same which will enter said longitudinalgroove and pass into said recesses but too large to enter said notchesand having reduced neck portions adjoining said head portions and of asize to enter said narrower transverse notches.

3. A ring binder, comprising a back member having a centrallongitudinally extending groove in the face of the same, longitudinallyextending undercut channels at opposite sides of said groove andlongitudinally spaced transverse notches extending from saidlongitudinal groove over said undercut channels, said notches beingnarrower than said longitudinal groove and ring elements having reducedneck portions small enough to enter said side Inotches and larger headportions of a size to enter said longitudinal groove and passtransversely into said side channels.

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL.

